Rise of A Phenex
by RoyalPercival
Summary: AU! Riser Phenex has always believed that his family's bloodline made him unstoppable. But what if he learned early on that it didn't? Having watched his brother's crushing defeat, the third son of the Phenex shall rise as he makes his way to the top. And this time, there will be nothing that stands in his way. OOC Riser.
1. Prologue

**AN: Hello readers. This is a 3 way collaboration project with RedXEagl3, CrimsonAzazel, and Houvdon. Enjoy, and watch as we surpass Silly Songbird with our version of a Riser Phenex story.**

 _ **(Love,  
Revan's Stories)**_

 **RedXEagl3's AN: I hope we don't have to write AN for each of us every chapter, or we may artificially inflate the word count, but nonetheless I'm still happy to do this. I don't like Riser Phenex, so why not completely change him to be a better person? Hope you enjoy this story, you insatiable bastards.  
**

 **CrimsonAzazel's AN: Welcome readers, to the most ambitious collaboration in DxD fanfic history. I originally had this idea a while ago but never got around to it. Then I talked to Red. He's a guy who reminds me of my IRL best friend and I thought our writing was compatible, so I thought, why not? Then I invited Houvdon, now here we are. Hope you all enjoy!**

 **Houvdon Valefor's AN: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And stuff. And yeah. Hopefully you all enjoy this collab between us 3. Make sure to follow my stories and my profile as well. Hope you all enjoy the future chapters.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1**_

* * *

The phoenix. A majestic avian whose childish and melodic voice sung such sweet notes. Those who were deceived by its harmless beauty would feel the wrath of its dazzling flames. The most terrifying ability of the the creature however, was its regeneration. A great gift of immortality in which the flames that bathe its body heals any wound no matter how fatal.

Such is the power bestowed to the house of Phenex. We, the marquis of hell who were gifted these genetics by our Lucifer, have long been feared for our abilities. With our bloodline we are invincible. Nobody could dare to dream that they had slain a pure blooded devil of the Phenex pillar.

At least that was what I had always believed, until it was crushed along with my brother Ruval by the emperor of the rating games. The very same brother whose shadow I grew up in.

My name is Riser Phenex. Third born son and heir to the house of Phenex. This is the story of I, the second emperor.

A young boy of ten years old cheered as he sat in the large stadium. Watching as his eldest brother entered and appeared at the center of the stage via magic circle.

"Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages!" an announcer shouted from next to his brother's circle.

"Please welcome our challenger, the man who sped past the ranks and made it to the top. With a streak of twelve wins and counting, let us see if tonight is the night he falls to the might of the emperor. Please welcome the heir to the house of Phenex and ultimate class devil, Ruval Phenex!" the crowd roared in approval as a man with wild fiery blonde hair and blue eyes in a golden noble attire emerged.

The magic circle leaked golden flames as it expanded before fifteen others appeared behind him.

Once again the announcer started to speak as he introduced the second contestant.

"And now, we bring you the emperor, our champion, the number one rating game player. Ladies and gentlemen scream for the great king Belial, Diehauser Belial!" he shouted.

A grey magic circle appeared parallel to Ruval as a man with silver hair in a fancier noble's attire came forth. The circle expanding once again as another fifteen silhouettes appeared behind him.

The two opponents stared each other down before Diehauser offered his hand. Ruval took it in stride, giving it a firm shake as both nodded in acknowledgement. The audience cheered as both sides made their way to opposite ends of the arena.

"Now then," the announcer spoke again, "The name of the game is Crystal Hunt. The rules are simple: Each team will have three large crystals that are scattered throughout the terrain. The first to destroy all of their opponent's crystals will be the victor."

The young Riser teetered at the edge of his seat in anticipation as the countdown began. Meanwhile his parents discussed Ruval's chances.

"Do you think he can pull it off?" Lady Phenex asked her husband in a worried tone.

"Nothing lasts forever dear, and I believe it is high time there was a new emperor." The Lord of the Phenex household responded to his wife's concerns.

'There's no way that big brother can lose. He's a Phenex! No one can beat us.' Riser thought as he overheard his parents' conversation.

There was a loud ring as the clock hit zero and the games officially began.

 **{Game Start}**

* * *

Spartacus had to admit it was a good plan. His master had wisely decided to diverge most of the action to the other side of the pocket dimension, drawing attention away from Spartacus and allowing him to sneak to one of the enemy team's crystals and destroy it.

It was not well hidden. It stood brazenly in the middle of an open colosseum. With no one seemingly around, he ran toward it, ready to smash it into pieces and allow his master, Ruval Phenex, to get a step closer to victory. Unfortunately, before he could attack, he was nearly bisected by a massive katana that had seemingly come out of nowhere.

" _Tch!_ " Spartacus clicked his tongue as he jumped back, gaining distance from the man who had apparated so close to him without his knowledge. "Shoulda known it wouldn't be this easy…"

"Indeed," The man, who had long black hair tied into a pony tale and wore a traditional purple kimono spoke in an even and tempered tone. "Your master and the rest of his peerage are strong, but you underestimate us. To think that we would fall for a blatant tactic such as this… I almost feel insulted."

The Spartacus descendent smirked arrogantly. "Like you underestimated Miyamoto Musashi, right Sasaki?"

The now christened Sasaki Kojirou's only reaction was a slight twitching of his eyebrow, before he got into a stance. "My master has faced many an upstart such as your own. Your master's fall will be no different from any others he has faced."

"No one Belial has faced can regenerate at will," Spartacus countered, punching the palm of his hand and cracking his knuckles. "But I don't need regeneration to beat you. If someone four hundred years ago can do that, so can I!"

"You may try," Sasaki replied coolly.

Spartacus roared and charged. Considering he was a Rook, he could squish the Japanese swordsman in front of him like a beetle. The ground actually quaked with the amount of force he was using to charge forward, causing small cracks to form in the ground.

Sasaki Kojirou only stood there, waiting for the massive form of Spartacus to get in range of his nodachi. Spartacus may have been a Rook, but he was a Knight, and Knights are always faster than Rooks. Spartacus made a grave mistake.

With pinpoint precision, once Spartacus crossed Sasaki's threshold, Sasaki slashed down with his nodachi, and just as quickly slashed back up.

Spartacus wasn't even able to let out a pained scream before a blue light enveloped him.

 **[Ruval Phenex, Rook, retired.]**

* * *

Serana Barbatos didn't know how to handle this situation to her liking. Not only was she intercepted before she could reach the other team's crystal, which seemed to be far off in a colosseum of some sorts, but she was intercepted by the Queen of Diehauser Belial, who she knew only went by the name 'Alice'. Having blonde hair and red eyes, she was quite a beautiful woman. Luckily for Serana, however, she brought back-up.

"Both of you," She called the Knight and 2 Pawns she had with her. "Distract the ones with their Queen. She's mine," She ordered. The pieces nodded, before charging and engaging the enemy.

Alice walked forward nonchalantly like she didn't have a care in the world, even when Serana was in plain sight and those that had followed her were engaged with Ruval's Pawns and Knight. She had a small, placid smile on her face as she regarded Serana like she would an old friend.

"Serana Barbatos, soon to be Serana Phenex," Alice bowed her head in respect. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Serana did not waste this opportunity. The moment Alice finished that sentence she sent a wave of demonic energy towards the unassuming blonde woman. Dust kicked up from this attack kept the results of this attack from view for a few seconds. Knowing that a Queen could not be taken out by such an attack, even if it caught them by surprise, she readied another one.

A sword that was shot out of the dust cloud and into her shoulder interrupted that plan.

"My, you are eager," Alice's voice rung in the wounded Queen's ears. "I suppose I should answer that eagerness in kind!"

When the dust cleared, Alice was almost unrecognizable. Armor covered her all over except for her head, and she had a deep red, menacing aura surrounding her. Several scabbards hung on her hips, and the Belial family crest adorned her breastplate. Her face still had a smile, but to Serana, it seemed darker than before.

She spread her devil wings and flew into the air, ignoring the pain that the sword in her shoulder gave her. Keeping it in to stop herself from possibly bleeding out, she sent a round of demonic towards her opponent. Alice didn't even flinch. Quickly pulling out one of the swords that was sheathed to her side, and summoning a barrier in front of her, she used her own wings to fly towards Serana.

Serana was not much of a talker during battle. She saw it as an unnecessary way to prolong a fight, but in this moment she almost panicked and begged the soaring woman to get away from her. Steeling her resolve, she successfully dodged the strike aimed at her torso. Summoning more demonic power, she put it all into one large orb, and sent it forth.

It splashed harmlessly against the barrier that Alice had summoned.

Serana only had this much to process before she was gone.

 **[Ruval Phenex, Queen, retired.]**

Alice sighed as she slowly floated back to the ground. She had hoped that the Queen would be more of a fighter, but unfortunately, she was a Wizard-type. Being the daughter of Ares, and having significant battle prowess, Wizard-types usually had poor match-ups to her.

If only…

 **[Ruval Phenex, Knight and Pawn, retired. Diehauser Belial, Knight and Bishop, retired.]**

"Oh?" She looked around and noticed one more exhausted Pawn remaining. "There's one more. I shall fix that."

A single sword throw was all it took.

 **[Ruval Phenex, Pawn, retired.]**

And just like that, a crystal was broken.

Meanwhile, Ruval Phenex was slowly filling with anticipation. He had started out feeling confident enough. But that was before his peerage started dropping like flies. Out of the ten servants he had, half of them were retired now, including his queen, and that was his greatest regret.

Eyes refocusing, Ruval sighed when he felt a presence closing in. Turning around, he was greeted with the smile of one Diehauser Belial, his opponent.

His peerage was about to charge until they were stopped by his hand.

"You're not strong enough to handle the likes of him. I'll do it myself, get back." the Phenex ordered, his face showing nothing but determination.

"Don't you think maybe you're a little too young to be facing me one on one?" The rating game champion asked in amusement.

"Don't you think you're a little too old to still be playing?" the blonde shot back as Diehauser roared in laughter.

"I see you have your father's attitude."

Ruval's body ignited, flames wrapping around his body, encasing him completely in the signature flames of a Phenex.

"Well I am his son." Ruval spoke simply as his flames grew brighter.

The Emperor narrowed his eyes at Ruval, unaffected by the Phenex flames that seemingly burned hotter than Uriel's holy flames.

"Impressive. Those flames of yours... they burn bright with determination."

Again, the Devil spoke calmly, despite facing flames that could potentially melt his skin.

Ruval said nothing, waiting for Diehauser to prepare for his upcoming onslaught.

But he didn't move a muscle, simply standing there, patiently waiting for him to make a move.

Ruval cocked an eyebrow in confusion. Diehauser was essentially defenseless. His hands were bare, and his magical energy was calm. He did not have his magic ready at any moment.

"What are you waiting for? Everyone is waiting." Diehauser said as he gestured around, finally speaking after minutes of silence, and waiting from both sides. "You will disappoint the Phenex family if you do not move."

Ruval swung his hand horizontally, and the flames around his body _moved_ , licking the air as if they had a life of their own, and seemingly lunged for the opposing Devil. But the Emperor simply held out his hand, and a magic circle formed in front of him.

The flames clashed against his barrier, but not a single crack appeared.

Ruval stopped, and the flames receded. Diehauser lowered his hand.

The Phenex roared, as his body transformed partially into flames. Ruval pushed his hand outwards, and flames burst to life. They formed a sphere around Diehauser, completely closed in, before igniting.

Within moments, the flames transformed into an explosion.

Ruval stood impatiently, waiting for the dust to clear.

His eyes widened when he saw Diehauser standing there patiently, in the _exact_ same spot. Magic circles wrapped around his body, as he, once again, simply blocked his attacks effortlessly.

"This is the difference between you and me, Ruval. You cannot defeat me through any kind of attack."

Ruval gave no response, merely looking directly at Diehauser.

The Phenex's peerage members shifted uncomfortably, wanting to help, but unable to defy the orders of their Master.

It was clear that none of Ruval's attacks were getting through.

Wings made of flames sprouted behind him, and in an instant, Ruval charged.

Diehauser rose an eyebrow.

Ruval swung his fire-encased fist, but a barrier simply formed between the two, stopping his fist. Ruval let his fist hit the barrier, before spinning around, getting behind Diehauser, and bringing his leg around, aiming for the Devil's head.

His leg was blocked by another barrier.

"Are you done yet?"

Minutes had passed since the start of Ruval's onslaught, and yet, Diehauser had not yet moved from his spot, nor had he been scathed.

"If you are done…" The Belial closed his eyes, before reopening them. "I will start."

Diehauser disappeared from Ruval's sight, making the Phenex widen his eyes. The Belial flickered into existence, his leg already in motion, aiming for his chest. Ruval crossed his arms, and the leg struck his forearms instead.

Before Ruval even had a chance to exhale, the Emperor was already in front of him.

His fist punched outwards, aiming at Ruval's face. Ruval brought his hand up in an attempt to grab it, but his eyes widened when a magic circle formed in a split second, and lightning magic burst to life.

The Phenex screamed in pain when the lightning struck true, and the Belial gave him no time to adjust to the pain. Diehauser brought his other fist around, striking his face directly, instead of using magic.

Blood burst from his head, his skull completely shattered.

But Ruval regenerated before his "corpse" even touched the ground. His left palm hit the ground, and he used his momentum to flip his body around, pushing off his left arm to create some space.

He landed on all fours, facing Diehauser.

The Devil still stood in his previous position, his fist still hovering in the air where his skull was crushed by sheer force.

He slowly pulled his arm back, going back into his previous relaxed form.

A contrast from his previous deadly position.

"Fuck." Ruval let out a curse. How? Just how was he this damn strong? Was this the difference between their power?

"Do you need a moment to rest?" Diehauser cocked his head to the side. "I will permit it."

Ruval growled in anger at the comment. The bastard was just toying with him at this point. It was infuriating!

"I don't need rest." Ruval spat out at him.

"Good. Then let us continue. This time, I will use a bit more force."

Again, Diehauser disappeared from his vision and senses, simply moving too fast to be seen.

It was no teleportation or magic. It was pure speed built upon years of honing his body to its maximum potential.

And he still hadn't reached it.

Ruval gasped in pain, as his ribs were shattered in an instant. But his ribs healed even faster than than they were shattered. Diehauser appeared behind him, his elbow mid swing, aiming for Ruval's shoulder.

A shattering sound was heard, as the bone was instantly split a part with a single hit from an elbow.

This time, before his shoulder was even healed, the bottom of Diehauser's fist struck the _exact_ spot of where his elbow had striked.

Ruval screamed in agony, and Diehauser appeared on the other side. He pulled Ruval's arm behind his back, and twisted it, dislocating it and pulling it out of its socket.

All this, in a matter of seconds.

And in less than a split second, his injuries were healed through the natural regeneration of a Phenex, the ability to rise from its ashes, much like the original Phoenix told in legends.

And only when Ruval regenerated, did Diehauser start his assault again from several feet away.

This time, with magic.

Magic circles formed a wall behind the Emperor, each one with its own attribute. Ranging from fire to water, lightning to wind.

"Fire."

One simple word, and it would have been able to destroy an entire army had there been one facing against the Devil.

Demonic energy flooded the arena, as blasts of magic struck the area that Ruval lied in.

It continued on for a minute, and Diehauser did not look winded in the slightest. No sweat was seen on his body, and his magical energy was still full.

"Are you done yet?" Diehauser's voice was loud and clear.

The original Phoenix was able to rise from its ashes, reincarnated into a new body.

It was the same with Ruval.

He rose once again, his eyes glaring at the Belial.

"I'm not done yet. I will surpass you and become the new Emperor."

"How can you say that with such confidence if you are doing nothing but getting beaten to the ground by me?"

"Why don't you start by looking at where you are standing?"

The Devil decided to humor his opponent, and look down with a raised eyebrow, before his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw.

He was standing where Ruval once stood a few moments ago, when Ruval was getting beaten to the ground by raw power.

Scattered very densely and right under him, were _bombs_ , each packed with enough power to kill a High-class Devil in one shot.

Ruval snapped his fingers, and the bombs set themselves off.

Flames even hotter and deadlier than Amaterasu's came out of the bombs set by Diehauser.

Ruval chuckled. "And that...is game. The Phenex win."

"No...you are wrong."

Ruval's eyes widened in shock, as his flames disappeared.

"What?! How?"

Diehauser smiled. "The Belial clan's famed Worthlessness. It seems you have forgotten that I had it. It is only natural for you to forget, as I hardly use it."

Worthlessness, the ability to nullify the opponent's powers and to make them _worthless_ , hence the name given.

"I admit, that last move of yours would've gotten me had I not had used Worthlessness. You deserve praise, as I had not expected to be pushed into that corner by such a simple, yet effective way."

The Belial spread his arms. "I commend you, Ruval Phenex. You are truly a powerful Devil, worthy of even the Great King Lucifer's attention. You are able to spread your wings without resistance, and soar where you wish if it is within your wings."

"But now… I will break your wings, and make sure that you never leave the ground again."

Diehauser's voice grew cold, as his aura became more intense.

Ruval's eyes widen in surprise. This pressure, this daunting presence made it almost impossible to even stand. _'What?! He seems so different now! Was that not his full power?'_

"Prepare yourself, Ruval Phenex, for when you spread your wings wide, it makes others want to break them. And I will be the one that will break them."

Diehauser disappeared, his speed enhanced by his magic.

Before Ruval even comprehended that his opponent disappeared, he was already being sent back. Not only did his ribs shatter with a single punch enhanced by demonic power, his arms ripped out of their sockets as his body great velocity.

Diehauser appeared behind him in the air, his leg swinging downwards, striking at Ruval's collarbone.

A gut-wrenching sound of a bone being shattered was heard throughout the arena. Ruval was then kicked upwards, before being slammed back into the ground by a single hit from Diehauser's elbow.

A total of a single second had passed since Diehauser had vanished from Ruval's vision.

Ruval had regenerated once again, his face contorted with pain.

He rose his arm up, and from his palm, flames licked his skin. It slowly became compressed into a ball, before growing bigger.

Flames burst from the surface. The ball made entirely of flames burned brighter, as the Phenex pumped even more flames into the ball that was already at the size of several meters. The ball continuously changed colors, shifting between red, yellow, blue, and even white. The crowd gasped in awe at the spectacle.

It was not made entirely out of fire.

It was also made up of hopes and dreams. Determination. Ambition. Pride. Anger.

A few more moments passed, before Ruval roared, and tossed the Sun made entirely out of his powers at the current Emperor of Rating Games.

Diehauser smiled softly as it came closer. An explosion enveloping his form as Ruval staggered, slowly drifting in and out consciousness.

' _It worked.'_ he thought with a small smirk of victory spreading, until the visage of a silhouette walked out of the fire. The orange flames slowly began to fade from existence.

"Your wings. You may spread them wide, but others spread them wider. They soar higher than you, and they fly farther. You'll never reach their level, unless you push yourself to fly more. As of now, you are only flying at the height that your Phenex bloodline allows you to. However...if you learn something else, you'll be able to reach higher."

He stepped over the blackened ground, burned by their flames and magic.

"You'll eventually be the highest one, grasping the clouds with your bare hands. Grasping your dreams through hard work and determination. You'll be higher than anyone else."

The Phenex heir struggled to raise his right arm in an attempt for one last attack. But it was futile, as he conjured his fire, the remains of his demonic power emptied and he collapsed onto his hands and knees before fainting.

"But you must work for it."

Diehauser stood in front of his opponent's prone form. The Phenex's broken body lay before him, eyes closed in

"It is over, Ruval Phenex. I win." The Emperor stated finally.

 **[Ruval Phenex, King, retired. Diehauser Belial winner.]**

* * *

The words echoed through his head all throughout the night. His mind couldn't comprehend it. The heir to the Phenex clan, his eldest brother, had lost. Defeated. No, completely obliterated by the champion's strength.

Riser Phenex could not comprehend that. He had always been told that his blood was superior, his clan's might was unchallenged due to their abilities.

Yet those abilities had done nothing more than torch dirt in front of the emperor.

Diehauser Belial. A man he had deemed second rate compared to his brother once upon a time. Yet, that had all crumbled down in a matter of mere moments. His visions had been crushed along with Ruval.

However, as old visions crumbled, new ones arose in their place.

Riser Phenex was a child prodigy. And yet, his efforts had always been overshadowed by the accomplishments of his elder brothers. The third son was always seen as less than the heir, but no more.

He would gather the greatest peerage, win every rating game he played. He would train to be the strongest. And one day, he would dethrone the Emperor. He, Riser Phenex, would take the throne of the Emperor himself along with a loyal, powerful, queen.

And there would be nothing that stood in his path.

* * *

 **AN: And that was the first chapter. Keep in mind this was just a prologue and there will definitely be more to come. And, of course, in better quality too. We hope you loved it and if you did, be sure to favorite, follow, and leave a review on what your favorite scene was or what you hope to see. ~Ja ne**


	2. I meet my Queen

**AN: Here we bring you the second chapter. See you at the bottom!**

 _ **Chapter 2**_

"Lord Riser, it is time to wake up. You have quite the busy schedule today." came a voice from out in the hall.

Riser Phenex awoke from his slumber at the sound of the maid's voice. He was slightly irritated at being woken up so early. But that was gone with the wind once he realized what today was. His thirteenth birthday. The day he would be receiving his evil pieces.

"I'm up!" he shouted loud enough for the maid to hear.

Riser got ready as fast as he could, barely able to contain his excitement. Brushing past every servant he came across. At the dinner table, both his parents noticed his increased vigor and hyperactivity, and shared a knowing look. They had known for a long time that Riser was excited for this day. It was only natural that he would be so hyper.

"When are we going?" He asked several times. "Are we going!? Are we going _now?_ "

"Yes yes," Lady Phenex giggled at her youngest son's obvious excitement. "We are going _now_."

The trio made their way towards the brightly glowing orange magic circle that had been prepared by the servants. Stepping inside, Riser closed his eyes as the circle rose until it enveloped him in flames.

Appearing in a lab of sorts, the Phenex were greeted with the sight of a tall man with slicked back green hair in a standard noble's attire. A bit humble considering his position.

"I welcome the Phenex clan on this fine day." The man spoke with a small smile.

"Lord Beelzebub, it is an honor to see you again." Lady Phenex bowed alongside her husband and son.

The Satan quickly had them rise; he was not one for formalities nor were any of his peers.

"And I assume this is the child who is to receive his pieces today?" He asked as his gaze settled on Riser. The Phenex matriarch was quick to have him introduce himself before one of their leaders.

"It is an honor to meet you Lord Beelzebub. I am Riser Phenex, the third son of the Phenex pillar." the thirteen year old bowed. The green haired Satan just smiled.

"The pleasure is all mine, young Phenex, but just call me Ajuka. Now then, are you ready?" The blonde nodded his head excitedly as the adults in the room chuckled in amusement at how energetic he was.

The four devils made their way through the laboratory of the Beelzebub castle until they came upon an enormous machine.

"Here it is. By placing your hand right there on the circle and focusing your demonic power into it, your evil pieces will be made. Begin whenever you're ready." Ajuka explained as Riser stared at the contraption until he asked.

"What are the chances of me getting a mutation piece?" Ajuka looked as if he had been expecting such a question as he replied.

"Well normally speaking, the chances are around ten percent." the blonde nodded in understanding as he stepped forward before placing his hand on the magic circle engraved into the device.

Channeling some of his demonic power through it, there was a bright glow as he continued to pour it in until he thought it was enough before stopping and taking a step back.

Out of an opening in the side of the machine came a small box, which was ornately engraved. A few moments later, the light from the machine went out. Ajuka approached the machine, and picked the box up. Opening it, he studied the pieces inside.

A shocked look appeared on his face as he analyzed them, before it melted into a scientific smirk.

"Well," He murmured, before raising his voice to be better heard. "The chances for a mutation piece are around ten percent, and the chances for more than that are even lower. However…"

He handed the opened box to a frozen Riser. "It seems you are quite lucky Riser. Not one, not two, but _three_ mutation pieces have been granted to you."

Riser gaped at that declaration, studying the evil pieces he had been granted. Out of the usual pieces he could see, he saw three that were obviously different. All of the pieces were a golden orange in coloration, but these three were significantly lighter, like the orange you would see after sunset.

A rook, a knight, and a pawn.

Riser sat in his room, idly staring out the window as he lay on his bed, his new set of evil pieces on the end table right next to him.

In his hand was one of those new pieces, the queen piece.

He had been quite shocked to see that he had hit the jackpot with three mutation pieces. This was a sign, he was sure of it. A higher power was telling him to beat his brother. He didn't have a peerage yet. But this was a head start for stronger pieces.

Suddenly, the blonde sat up as he just couldn't sleep. He was already ahead, why stop now? Jumping out of his comfortable bed, he hurried to get dressed before opening a window.

Leaping out, he unfurled his leathery devil wings and soared into the sky while trying not to be seen. He loathed these wings. They paled in comparison to his own Phenex wings, in beauty and literally everything else. But those would be too easily seen. He couldn't alert anyone that he was leaving right now; his parents would never allow him. But his momentum was going strong and he wasn't going to stop now.

Once he was far enough away from the mansion he dropped onto the ground as he prepared a magic circle to take him to the human realm.

Afterall, the evil pieces were made to help increase the devil population. What good would it do to reincarnate another devil?

The bright orange circle glowed as it began activating. The flames once again enveloping him just as they had this morning. As he vanished, Riser failed to notice the pair of eyes watching him from within the shadows.

Appearing in a clearing near a lake somewhere in the Western broadleaf forest in Europe, Riser once again let out his leather wings as he took to the skies.

Looking down, he tried to think of somewhere he could find a strong servant. Greece? Norway? Ireland? There were too many options and while he was educated enough to know about most mythologies, comparing them for the best results were just a little more difficult with his current capabilities.

Maybe this wasn't quite his best idea...

Deciding to think a little more on where he should start his grand quest, the Phenex descended onto the ground. He was in some sort of desert but temperature had never been an issue for him be it hot or cold.

Making his way across the great dunes of sand, Riser started to consider his options a little more carefully. One such option would be a Greek demigod or just about any demigod really. But he wasn't important enough yet to be able to negotiate such things nor was he even capable of that level of trade. Luck seemed to favor him a little but the chances of running into a demigod so casually were slim to none.

"Ugh, why is this so difficult?" He complained. Competent and available, was that too much to ask for?

Deciding that this was taking too long, Riser unleashed his magnificent wings of fire before taking to the skies once again.

Riser loved flying. It was one of his favorite things about being a devil. Being able to soar above and reach the sky. To run a hand through the wet clouds. The wind in his face. He felt unbeatable and he loved it all.

That's when he realized he was running out of time. He had already been out for about four hours. That was half the time he had before he had to get back or someone would notice. Though coming back with a servant would mean they'll notice anyway...

From his current elevated position, he could see the sun slowly but surely rising in the east.

Damn it.

Thinking enough was enough, Riser decided he'd settle for anyone at this point. That's when he heard a scream. Looking down, the Phenex could see explosions of fire and blasts of magical energy being thrown around left and right.

"Candidates!" The boy laughed in "victory" at his good fortune before diving downwards as fast as he could.

Yubelluna was _not_ having a good day. She had started off that morning happy as can be, getting ready for a mage's exam to finally become a member of the Golden Dawn.

She had come from a small family of magicians and had been training all her life, practicing her fire magic and advancing them into explosions.

She had been so happy when she had received a letter from the Golden Dawn that her skills had been recognised, that she could help her family.

All of that went down the shitter the moment her family stepped through the magic circle. It wasn't an invitation and it wasn't the Golden Dawn. No, it was a damn slave trade organization made up of stray magicians.

She had immediately fired a magic bomb and blew up everything in her escape, her parents... hadn't been as lucky. Her father had been stabbed in an effort to block a direct hit aimed for her and her mother had been struck down while she was trying to make a circle for them to escape with.

It hurt Yubelluna greatly, but she couldn't dwell on her losses when she was being chased by another twenty or so men.

She ran as fast as she could, firing bomb after bomb in hopes of deterring her pursuers to no avail.

Until she noticed the form of a little brunette girl not much younger than her locked in a cell as she ran past. A look of absolute terror in the girl's eyes.

Using her magic, Yubelluna quickly blew open the bars of the cell and the wall behind it leading to the outside.

"Run!" The bomb mage yelled as she grabbed hold of the girl's arm and pulled her along until she started to run on her own.

Apparently the base was in some forest. They didn't know where to go, only that they had to keep going.

The mass of mages were slowly gaining ground even with all the spells that Yubelluna fired at them. The other girl was just too slow, obviously from the lack of nutrition judging by how thin she looked.

It wasn't all too surprising considering she was waiting to be sold off by her captors in a cell.

Deciding to switch tactics, the purple haired mage turned to the other girl while momentarily ceasing her bombardment. Charging her magic.

"We need to split up if both of us want to get out of here, when you hear the explosion go left and don't look back" the brunette just nodded as she panted, too tired to give a verbal answer.

Yubelluna looked back. Twenty meters. That was the gap between them and the mages. Just enough to make this work.

Using all of her built up magic, Yubelluna discreetly placed a giant land mine where she stepped. She looked back and watched.. and watched... and... now!

Activating the bomb, both girls heard a tremendous explosion that was quickly followed by the satisfying screams of numerous people.

The two girls quickly went in opposite directions. A trail of fire circling behind the younger girl so that the magicians would focus on the purple haired mage.

Once again a multitude of spells were being fired in an attempt to slow down the pursuers.

Unfortunately, Yubelluna was too focused on those behind her that she wasn't aware of those that had blocked off her only way to escape until it was almost too late. Completely trapped, Yubelluna had nowhere left to run.

"You got nowhere left to go now ya' little bitch. So how about you just come along quietly, aye?" One of them said. He looked to be the one in charge with the staff and the cleaner robes.

"I'd rather die" The purple haired girl growled as the men just laughed.

"That can be arranged" and with that, the leader's staff sparked with electricity as he took aim. Yubelluna shut her eyes as she prepared for the worst... only it never came.

Opening her eyes, the young mage was shocked to see that a boy roughly her age had landed in front of her; effectively shielding her with his own body.

'W-who?' she wondered in her mind.

Riser didn't know what possessed him to take the hit instead of just creating a shield.

He had been working on breaking that habit of his. To not rely so much on his regenerative abilities if he could help it. Watching his brother's battle had taught him that.

Though in the back of his mind, Riser probably knew that the attack wouldn't harm him. Middle class devils couldn't even leave a mark on him. Much less a stray magician from the human realm.

Though he couldn't hide the small grimace on his face. Lightning was lightning and no amount of regeneration was gonna help him ignore the numbness.

When the humans saw the small blonde boy descend from the skies and take the hit like nothing, they grew apprehensive. Even more so when orange flames burst forth from his body at the point of impact, it seemed to be healing him.

"I will say this once and once only, leave" Riser said, voice full of authority. Some of the magicians took a step back while others scoffed at the perceived arrogance.

"Who the hell do you think you are brat?" the leader growled.

"You really think you can fight all of us here, hot stuff?" Another questioned in amusement. The others were slowly gaining confidence as well once they realized that they still had the numbers advantage. Who'd be afraid of a kid anyway?

"So be it" the young Phenex sighed. Immediately a fire burst forth from his body as he prepared himself for battle.

Yubelluna flinched at the sight thinking she was about to be burned only to realize that the flames didn't hurt. If anything they felt warm and comforting.

Focusing back to the fight the young girl watched in awe of her mysterious possible savior as the magicians tried again and again, spell after spell, trying in vain to damage the boy who was practically a living incarnation of fire.

Riser responded in kind by unleashing a devastating torrent of flames as he slowly picked off the men one by one until three of the mages combined their magic into one water spell.

Water struggled against fire as it slowly but surely gained ground making its way towards the two children.

"There they are" turning around, Yubelluna saw the remaining magicians that had been chasing her. Though there were only about six or so out of the original twenty. They seemed to have a couple burn marks too.

If it weren't for the current circumstances, the young girl would've been pretty smug about having taken out so many mages who were stronger than her.

Riser saw this and decided he needed to end this before things got anymore out of hand than they already were.

Creating a dense ball of fire inside the torrent of flames that was currently pushing against the pillar of water, he passed it through the current.

The miniature sun imploded right before it touched the water as a huge shockwave knocked everyone onto the ground.

Quickly standing, Riser pulled the girl he was trying to save close, drawing a small shriek from the purplette before using every bit of power and technique he had over the elements of fire and wind to create a large tornado that seemed to cover the entire forest in flames.

The magicians could only stare in awe before a wave of death in the form of fire consumed them, leaving nothing but the sounds of their screams behind.

Riser fell to his knee after having used so much demonic energy. He doubted he could even teleport right now, which was going to be a huge problem. How the hell was he supposed to get home before his parents woke up now?

Not to mention the forest fire that he had unintentionally started with that little stunt he pulled. He was going to be in so much shit for this.

His inner turmoil was cut cold by a deep chuckle echoing through the fire as a figure emerged.

Yubelluna, who had been trying to help him up, also froze upon seeing the leader of the magicians still alive. How was that possible? That last attack the boy used should've definitely gotten all of them.

"Now _that_ was truly impressive. If I hadn't used my sacred gear I'd be dead for sure" the mage laughed as he revealed what looked to be a small dagger.

"This is called negate. With it, I am able to negate a single physical variable from affecting me," he smirked.

"In this instance, I negated the variable to be burned. I definitely felt the heat though, you had me sweating bullets before even that evaporated" the magician further explained before sneering.

"You also managed to piss me the hell off."

He shot a concentrated bolt of magic at the duo who prepared for the impact only to be pushed down as familiar mop of brown hair crossed Yubelluna's peripheral vision. And then the scream reached her ears. Dread filled her heart.

Getting up, her fears were confirmed when she found the body of the girl she had helped earlier with a hole in her stomach.

"No..." a tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't know why, she had barely even talked to the girl, let alone gotten her name. But regardless she cried.

Meanwhile, Riser just stared at the corpse in shock and anger.

'It's because I'm still weak,' he thought bitterly.

"Ahh damn, that's even more money down the drain, fucking idiot." The offender cursed.

Riser grew furious. His mother had always taught him that a life, no matter how big or small, was precious and should always be treasured. He wanted to teach this man a lesson but he knew he couldn't.

Neither he nor the girl had the strength to beat him, they were too exhausted.

Just as the man was about to fire another spell however, a particular 'X' shaped blade of wind cut him right in half at the waist. He couldn't even scream before the two halves fell.

'That was...' Riser knew that technique. He had seen it all his life. It was his second brother's signature after all. A second later the inferno of a forest fire was gone. Leaving nothing but the burnt surroundings as evidence.

"So this is where you ran off to," a voice to his right said.

Riser turned his head towards the direction of the voice and sure enough there he was. Standing there in a golden suit with his equally golden hair swept back like a greaser. There stood Raze Phenex.

Out of his two older siblings, Raze was definitely more of the 'cool brother' than Ruval.

Not that Riser really had anything against his eldest brother besides that one time when he ate the burrito that Riser had been saving.

It had all his favorites in it and he had been looking forward to it after a long day of training.

Only to look in the fridge and find it missing!

Even when he had taken the time to reorganize the whole thing so that it wouldn't be seen in the corner! And when he confronted him about it the bastard just laughed stating that he should've been faster!

The prick!

And as if to rub salt on the wound, he gave him a single U.S dollar! Currency that was used in the human world! What the hell was he supposed to do with that!?

Ahem...

"H-Hey Raze" Riser greeted nervously.

While he _is_ the cool brother, he also now had blackmail material until his younger brother was too old for it to matter.

His thoughts stilled as he remembered the girl who had taken the hit for him. Someone who he now owed a life debt to.

The nervous look on his face turned to one of seriousness and determination, something Raze instantly noticed.

"I'll explain later, there's something I have to do right now," he said before turning his back to face the body that the other girl was currently crying over.

Raze lifted an eyebrow before he finally took in the scene and figured out what was going on. He also realized what his brother was probably going to do and it was confirmed when Riser summoned his set of evil pieces.

"Are you sure about this?" He questioned.

Riser nodded.

"I owe her my life," he replied before watching a pawn piece float out of the box.

The mutated one.

Both brothers were shocked to find that out of all the pieces, it would be that one.

Then again, Raze could definitely feel the aura of a sacred gear coming from the girl, quite a strong one too considering the output was coming from a dead body. Certainly no longinus, but withhis brother's current level of power this would definitely be a boon.

"Well," Riser started.

"Here goes nothing"

 **CrimsonAzazel's AN - Hey guys, jesus it's been forever. Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the long term hiatus. It was completely my fault as life hit the shitter and I abandoned both the story and the collab team but we're back in action and ready to surpass Silly Songbird! Unfortunately RedxEagl3 will no longer be joining us but we'll still try to make it work. Thank you for your patience. I also realize that this chapter is actually really short compared to what we wanted but we figured it'd be best to give you guys a lil something. We promise the next chapter will definitely be longer. Anyways, hope you enjoyed and be sure to favorite, follow, and review! - ja ne**

 **Houvdon: Ya'll thought we were gone? Well, we back. Hope you guys all enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter. Just hope it doesn't take another year or two to come out. Until then, see you guys. Make sure to check out my newest story, "Midnight Sun". Just ignore the shameless advertising xd**


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